Ab-type piston assembly shipping package

ABSTRACT

A shipping package for AB-type railroad air brake piston assemblies incorporates a shipping drum to receive and support the piston assembly in clearance relation to the drum bottom when the head flange is supported on the drum flange. An expansible locking ring is normally loosely captive upon the drum flange and is contractible to compress the flanges into sealing relationship.

{mite States Patent 1 MacDonnell July 17, 1973 i 1 AB-TYPE PISTONASSEMBLY SHIPPING PACKAGE [75} Inventor: Robert W. MacDonnell, Crete,lll.

Unity Railway Supply Co., lnc., Chicago, lll.

[22] Filed: July 13, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 27l,356

[73] Assignee:

[52] US. Cl. 206/46, 220/5 [51 l 865d 85/00 [58] Field of Search 220/5R, 5 A;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,193,129 7/1965 Pflueger etal 220/5 R Prir nary Examiner-Samuel B. Rothbcrg Assistant lixaminerjohnM. (askie Altorney- E. Manning..l. Patrick (agney el al.

[57] ABSTRACT A shipping package for AB-type railroad air brake pistonassemblies incorporates a shipping drum to receive and support thepiston assembly in clearance relation to the drum bottom when the headflange is supported on the drum flange. An expansible locking ring isnormally loosely captive upon the drum flange and is contractible tocompress the flanges into sealing relationship.

4 Claims, 5 Drawing Fignres I Patented July 17, 1973 3,746,153

FIGJ

AB-TYPE PISTON ASSEMBLY SHIPPING PACKAGE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThis invention relates to a shipping package that includes a pistonassembly for the well known standardized AB-type air brake system forwhich detailed service and maintenance instructions are prescribed underthe authority of the AAR in connection with the procedures forreconditioning and testing brake cylinder pistons.

In accordance with the standardized maintenance procedures, it isrequired periodically to remove the brake cylinder pistons and replacethem with new or reconditioned parts of the same type. Generally, allcleaning and conditioning of the removed pistons is performed in acentral service yard. After being removed from a railroad car, thepiston assembly is shipped back to the service yard. After servicing, itis then shipped out to repair tracks for storage until it is neededagain. During shipment and storage, the piston assemblies which arerequired to function precisely and which are required to be free ofcontaminants are exposed to rough handling, inclement weather and dustand dirt, all of which tends to degrade its internal mechanisms.

In the past, there has been no suitable container provided forprotecting the piston assembly during shipment and storage. The fact isthat the equipment is frequently protected only by a gunny sack or otherfragile wrapping incapable of preventing mechanical damage orcontamination. The result of this is that the essential purpose of theextensive and careful maintenance procedures is lost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention, ashipping package including the brake cylinder piston assembly for anAB-type air brake system is provided to facilitate shipping and storageof the piston assembly. In particular, the piston assembly of theAB-type includes a sleeve, a piston, a head having a circumambientmarginal flange facing the piston, and spring means biasing the pistonand head apart.

The shipping package of the invention includes an improved container inthe form of a shipping drum comprised of a cup-shaped main body havingan open end bordered by a circumambient marginal flange of a shape toengage the head flange of the piston assembly in confrontingface-to-face relation, the main body of the drum having a depth toafford clearance beneath the piston when the head flange is supported onthe drum flange.

To complete the shipping package, locking means are provided forsecuring the flanges of the head and the shipping drum together. Thelocking means of the preferred embodiment comprises an open-loop lockingring generally U-shaped in transverse section to define an annularpocket opening inwardly of the ring for re ceiving the flanges edgewise.The ring has confronting opposite ends and releasable clamping meansconnecting these ends to hold the ring contracted upon the flanges forcompressing the same together.

The ring is mounted upon the drum flange normally to be captive thereon.For this purpose, the flange on the drum is of greater diameter than themaximum ID of the locking ring. The maximum ID of the locking ring isgreater than the OD of the head flange so that the ringis captive uponthe drum flange while allowing free removal of the piston assembly fromthe shipping package.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description and claims and are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings which show structure embodying preferred features of thepresent invention and the principles thereof, and what is now consideredto be the best mode in which to apply these principles.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying-drawings forming apart of the specification, and in which like numerals are employed todesignate like parts throughout the same:

FIG. I is an elevational view of a shipping package that includes anAB-type railroad air brake piston assembly, a shipping drum and aclamping ring;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged section through the flange re gion of the shippingpackage and showing a clamping ring in contracted relationship upon theflanges of the piston assembly and shipping drum;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 and showing the locking ring expandedto free the piston assembly for removal or insertion while remainingcaptive upon the drum flange;

FIG. 4 is an end elevational view of the shipping drum without thelocking ring; and

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the locking ring and its clamp.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The piston assembly is entirelyconventional and includes a sleeve 14, a piston 15, a head 16 having acircumambient marginal flange 16F facing toward the piston, and springmeans biasing the piston 15 and the head 16 apart.

In accordance with the present invention, the protective container 12 isin the form of a shipping drum that includes a cup-shaped main body 123in the form of a right circular cylinder having an open end bordered bya circumambient marginal flange 12F that is of a shape to engage thehead flange 16F in face-to-face confronting relation. As is apparent inFIG. 1, the drum is of a depth to allow clearance beneath the pistonwhen the head flange 16F is supported upon the drum flange 12F.

As is conventional, the flange 16F on the head is of flat circular formand presents a downwardly-facing annular seal face. In accordancewiththis invention, the drum flange 12F has an upwardly directed annularseal face in confronting relation to the head flange seal face. The drumflange 12F, as shown in FIG. 4, includes diammetrically opposed edgecut-outs 12C which typically span an arc of 42v for the approximately 6inch radius dimension of the flange proflle,thereby to provide fingerclearance to facilitate gripping the edge of the head flange 16F tofacilitate mounting the piston assembly in the container or removing itfrom the container. The remainder of the drum flange l2F is shown toinclude an integral upstanding marginal lip portion 12L which is of lessheight dimension than the thickness of the head flange 16F. The lipportion 12L accommodates seating of the head flange 16F upon the drumflange 12F in partially nested relation.

The locking means 13 comprises an open loop locking ring 18 which isshown to be generally U-shaped in transverse section (see FIGS. 2 and 3)to define an annular pocket 18? opening inwardly of the ring forreceiving the flanges 12F, 16F edgewise therein. The ring 18 hasconfronting opposite ends which are interconnected by a toggle-typeclamping mechanism that includes a lever 19 pivoted to one of the ringends and a bail 20 pivoted to the other ring end and pivoted centrallyto the lever. The lever 19 is shiftable between a fully open positionthrough an intermediate position, as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 5, toa locking position as shown in full lines in FIG. 5.

In the locking position the lever 19 holds the ring 18 contracted uponthe flanges 12F, 16F for compressing the flanges together as shown inFIG. 2, while in moving to the open position the ring 18 expandssufficiently to free the head flange 16F for easy removal while the ringremains captive upon the larger diameter drum flange 12F as shown inFIG. 3.

The composite shipping package as described provides an effective sealin that the locking ring exerts substantially uniform seal pressurethroughout the full 360 periphery of the flanges. In addition, thelocking ring 18, being mounted captive upon the shipping drum 12, isless subject to being lost or misplaced. It is preferred that where thepiston assembly is removed, the locking ring 18 be actuated to itscontracted position where it served as a protective cover for the drumflange 12F for precluding mechanical damage to the seal face.

Additional features of the illustrated embodiment include the provisionof a groove 12G in the seal face of drum flange to accomodate an O-ringseal 21 and the provision of a pair of bolt holes 12H in the drum flangeradially outwardly of the seal groove 12G and located to mate with thebolt holes that already exist in the head flange.

In the disclosed embodiment, the shipping drum 12 is formed of a highimpact plastic material such as a rotor-molded cross-linkedpolyethylene. This material provides light-weight easy formability, highimpact, shock and compressive strength, and a degree of resiliencycapable of cushioning the piston assembly 11 against shocks in the eventof accidental dropping.

Drop tests of the shipping package show that the drum can withstand freefalls of several feet without buckling while free falls of more than 20feet are handied by limited temporary flexing or bowing followed byautomatic restoration of the original shape.

It should be noted that substantial clearance exists beneath the pistonto allow the shipping drum, in the event of accidental dropping, to flexor bow inwardly and develop effective cushioning without damage to theassembly.

The properties of the cross-linked polyethylene at temperatures as lowas 35F are comparable to the properties of most substitutes at roomtemperature. Its properties are good up to 200F.

Thus, while preferred constructional features of the invention areembodied in the structure illustrated herein, it is to be understoodthat changes and variations may be made by those skilled in the artwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a composite shipping package that includes an AB-type railroad airbrake piston assembly a protective container for said assembly andlocking means for securing said assembly in said container, saidassembly including a sleeve, a piston, a head having a circumambientmarginal flange facing toward said piston and spring means biasing saidpiston and said head apart, an improved container comprising a shippingdrum including a cup-shaped main body having an open end bordered by acircumambient marginal flange of a shape to engage said head flange inface-to-face confronting relation, the main body of said drum having adepth to allow clearance beneath said piston when said head flange issupported on said drum flange.

2. In a composite shipping package as defined in claim 1 and whereinsaid locking means comprises an open-loop locking ring generallyU-shaped in transverse section to define an annular pocket openinginwardly of said ring to receive said flanges edgewise therein saidring'having confronting opposite ends and releasable clamping meansconnecting said opposite ends to hold said ring contracted upon saidflanges for compressing said flanges together.

3. In a composite shipping package as defined in I claim 1 and whereinsaid shipping drum is of a rotormolded plastic material of high impact,resilience and shape restoring characteristics.

4. In a composite shipping package as defined in claim 1 and whereinsaid drum flange has bolt holes matched to corresponding bolt holes ofsaid head flange and said drum flange has a groove of smaller diameterthan the bolt holes and mounting an O-ring seal. t t

1. In a composite shipping package that includes an AB-type railroad airbrake piston assembly a protective container for said assembly andlocking means for securing said assembly in said container, saidassembly including a sleeve, a piston, a head having a circumambientmarginal flange facing toward said piston and spring means biasing saidpiston and said head apart, an improved container comprising a shippingdrum including a cupshaped main body having an open end bordered by acircumambient marginal flange of a shape to engage said head flange inface-toface confronting relation, the main body of said drum having adepth to allow clearance beneath said piston when said head flange issupported on said drum flange.
 2. In a composite shipping package asdefined in claim 1 and wherein said locking means comprises an open-looplocking ring generally U-shaped in transverse section to define anannular pocket opening inwardly of said ring to receive said flangesedgewise therein said ring having confronting opposite ends andreleasable clamping means connecting said opposite ends to hold saidring contracted upon said flanges for compressing said flanges together.3. In a composite shipping package as defined in claim 1 and whereinsaid shipping drum is of a rotOr-molded plastic material of high impact,resilience and shape restoring characteristics.
 4. In a compositeshipping package as defined in claim 1 and wherein said drum flange hasbolt holes matched to corresponding bolt holes of said head flange andsaid drum flange has a groove of smaller diameter than the bolt holesand mounting an O-ring seal.